Annaly Bay tide pools

Updated August 16, 2026

Annaly Bay is on St. Croix’s north coast, and the tide pools there are natural rock basins scoured out of the shoreline, filling and refreshing with each wave.

They are the island’s best reward-for-effort, precisely because you have to walk.

The hike

The usual approach is a track from near Carambola on the north shore, descending to the bay. Allow roughly an hour each way — and remember that the return is the uphill half, in heat.

The trail is rough: loose rock, some scrambling, no shade for long stretches. Proper shoes, not flip-flops. Take more water than you think.

Some people take a guided 4x4 or hiking tour instead, which shortens the walking.

The pools

Rock basins on an exposed shoreline, with waves breaking over the seaward edge and refilling them. On a calm day you can sit in them while the ocean crashes a few feet away. It is spectacular, and it is the single most photographed thing on the north coast.

Safety — read this bit

The pools are on an exposed, north-facing coast with no lifeguard, no phone signal in places, and an hour’s walk from a road.

• When north swell is running, do not go in. Waves break directly over the rocks and people have been swept.
• Check conditions before you drive out. Locals and dive shops will tell you straight.
• Do not go alone.
• Rock is sharp and slick. Move deliberately.

If the sea is up, turn it into a hike and a look, and swim somewhere else.

What to bring

• Real shoes with grip
• More water than you expect
• Sun protection — there is almost no shade
• Nothing you cannot carry back uphill

Nearby

Cane Bay is along the same coast — the dive wall, the beach, somewhere to eat afterwards. Combining the two makes a full north-shore day.

Annaly Bay is roughly 40–45 minutes from our villa on the east end, plus the hike.

Common questions

How long is the hike to Annaly Bay tide pools?

Plan on roughly an hour each way from the usual trailhead near Carambola, on a rough downhill track that you climb back up. It is a genuine hike, not a stroll.

Are the Annaly Bay tide pools safe to swim in?

On calm days, with care. The pools sit on an exposed north-facing coast and waves break over the rocks. When there is north swell running they are dangerous. Check conditions before you go and do not go in if the sea is up.